Fleur D'Amour
by fuuko no miko
Summary: Vignettes on my favorite Thundercat couple. Spans the whole first season and maybe a little more.
1. The Crush

**Fleur D'Amour**

**By Fuuko no Miko**

**11/27/2011**

Chapter 1

Crush

_I have been waiting for this duo to hook up since 1985. So you can figure out with your math how old I am, but that is not of importance to me or this work of fiction._

_First things first, I own diddly squat of the ThunderCats. I'd love to have a piece of Tygra and Cheetara but I'm but a poor inspired fangirl. Every character reference in this work of fiction is theirs: Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, etcetera, etcetera, except if it's someone I just made up. Yes you will see a few characters that did not exist in the Thunderian universe. Just in my head. _

_Second, I'm a hopeless romantic. The worst of my kind! Born that way, and will probably die that way. If you think this fiction is too mushy and lovey-dovey, it's your fault, you have been warned!_

_Third, I'm not great with action scenes, which is why I rarely write them, and even if I do, it takes an eternity and a half to finish._

_Here goes nothing…_

The minute his lips touched hers, she knew.

She had made the right choice.

And for that moment, that fleeting minute or so of their mouths touching, through a cloud of pure bliss, nothing else seemed to matter.

Nothing at all.

Not their quest. Not their battles, Not the sibling rivalry that sparked this confession.

All that mattered was him.

His caress.

His strong arms around her, firmly yet tenderly, sending a million pins through her skin.

As though letting her know, that she belonged with him.

Always has, and always will.

She remembered that day Jaga had carried her through the doors of the Cleric's residence, telling her that she had been accepted. She was lapsing in and out of consciousness, but through half-closed eyes she had caught a glimpse of a figure, swathed in an overgrown cape that enveloped him, his bright eyes following her as she had gone through the threshold of her new life.

She had smiled at him, briefly, before passing out again. She didn't know if he had seen it or not. She had hoped he did.

She didn't remember his name at the moment. But she will forever remember his face.

Life as a cleric had been difficult. The training. The hours. The seemingly unending physical trials and mental puzzles. She had put up with every single challenge Jaga had thrown her way. She met it with every ounce of determination she had. Failure was not an option. She had chosen this life and swore to overcome every obstacle. Those times she would even think of giving up, she remembered the day astrid, one whose petals have been consumed, but whose heart remains with her, carried her through.

That and the thought of the one who had given it to her.

She smiled as she placed the heart of the flower in her wristband. This was what kept her going.

"What's his name?"

Cheetara was jolted from her reverie by Katarah. One of the few female clerics and also one of the best. Katarah was no more than 5 years older than Cheetara herself but was beyond her years wiser than what she appeared to be. A statuesque lioness who looked more princess than warrior. She and the then thirteen year old Cheetara had developed a friendship although clerics rarely spoke. To them it was more luxury than a necessity.

"What do you mean?" she couldn't help blushing. She was completely caught off guard. The older cleric walked casually into the training room where Cheetara had rested after a grueling morning session.

"He of whom you daydream about." The older girl smirked. Cheetara could've sworn she had turned beet red. "Nobody holds a heart of a flower with such reverence without having some, eherm, personal attachment to it."

"He's just a friend." She blurted out, realizing she was probably red to the roots of her hair.

"An old one, judging but the crisp exterior of that flower's heart." Katarah said. "I hope he's worth it."

"Worth what?"

"All that distraction." laughed Katarah, before sending a thrust of her katana towards her younger friend, who had narrowly missed it, a strand of her hair getting split in the process.

Katarah always liked spur-of-the-moment sparring. Damn the girl. Her timing had always been excellent. This wasn't the first time she had caught Cheetara off guard.

Cheetara wielded her staff and swiftly deflected the blows the other cleric had sent her way. Her mindset had now shifted into cleric mode. She had gotten quite good at defending herself against Katarah, though she's never actually defeated her.

"Is he handsome?" Katarah barely missed getting hit by the staff, she caught it with her other hand and wrangled it out of Cheetara's grasp. She threw it aside.

"You could say that." She replied, diving low and knocking Katarah off her feet while she rolled to retrieve her weapon.

The two young cats circled each other at the center of the room, anticipating the other one's movement.

"Is he sweet?" the older girl asked ducking as Cheetara tried to knock her off balance with a swift kick.

"As sweet as candy fruit from the forest trees." She answered, averting a strike to her face.

They continued to exchange blows, one warrior overcoming the other, alternately getting the advantage. A wave of silence followed, with the clang of wood against metal cutting through the air as the only sound. Heavy breathing followed as one cleric tried to outdo her counterpart. For every hit she connected, Cheetara had to avoid getting sliced by Katarah's arm-length sword. She was beginning to get the hang of these spontaneous battles.

"Is he tall, dark and striped?"

The last sentence caused her to freeze mid-strike and giving Katarah a quick opportunity. In a split second, Cheetara found herself on the defensive stance, her staff shattered into splinters when Katarah's sword connected with it. She felt her feet go under. The next thing she knew, she was staring at the ceiling, her back to the floor and a sharp blade across her neck.

"Distraction!" the older girl smirked, retracting the blade and pulling Cheetara up to her feet. She appeared to hold back a comment as the younger cat dusted herself off. Cheetara could swear that if she had flushed cheeks the first time she was caught unaware, she probably is tomato-red now. Has she been that obvious?

She lifted a hand as Cheetara was about to protest. "Its okay, Cheetara." She smiled more playfully now. "I've had crushes when I was younger too you know." Her eyes then glimmered as she swooned. "Oh General Panthro, such a dreamboat…"and quickly shrugged as fast as she had changed her tune. "He loves his weapons more than he does his women though."

"He's just a friend." She again uttered defensively.

"And I'm just another lioness who knows how to wield a long knife."

Katarah motioned to Cheetara as they proceeded to leave the training room. Cheetara picked up the remnants of her broken staff and walked side by side with her senior cleric.

"He thinks he's stealthy but I've seen him try to peek in here a few times." Katarah said. "The little pest. Well, I suppose he's not so little now. Growth spurt and what-not. He's going to break some hearts someday."

No use in denying it now, Cheetara thought. Though, her little teenage heart skipped a beat learning that he possibly trying to spy on her. Or at least she would like to think it was that.

"Just make sure you know your priorities." Katarah's expression turned to a more serious one. "You're here to be a cleric. Guardian and future advisor to the Lord of the Thundercats."

Cheetara's face changed in tune with the older cleric's comment. She nodded silently in agreement.

"And Cheetara…"

Her eyes grew wide open.

"Your secret is safe with me." Katarah motioned a cross across her heart. "Clerics honor. A secret kept to the grave"

She smiled in return.

That secret did go with Katarah to the grave. She had died tragically in the hands of Mumm-Ra.

Twelve years was too long to wait.

But every second of it was worth it.

If only to feel her against him.

The Thunderian Gods can strike him now with lightning, he wouldn't care.

The moment she put her arms on his chest he felt an implosion. It took heavenly restraint to not pull her against him and kiss her with the longing twelve years worth.

No, he had to be gentle and savor every last bit.

**I've waited so long.**

_Me too. You're not the only one you know._

He didn't realize he had voiced it out loud.

He had paused to take a breath, pulled back just to see her beautiful face, her lips glistening from their contact. They were slightly parted, as though inviting him for more.

He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. Rested his arms on the small of her back, pulling her closer and kissing her once more.

**I love you.**

There. Perfect.

He eyed his target as efficiently as a ten year old would. He moved strategically, one eye closed so as to focus. He reached out, careful not to lose balance and swiped his target.

"What on third earth are you doing?"

Uh-oh.

Fight or flight? Fight or flight? Fight or…

The work-roughened hand on his shoulder indicated that running was futile.

A sheepish smile flashed across his embarrassed face. "Hi Nana."

The elderly tabby cat wearing garden dirt covered work clothes had a look that would send an an invading army scampering to their mommies.

"Since when did you take an interest in horticulture, young prince?"

"Ahm….this morning?" he replied, "You have the most beautiful astrid garden in all of Thundera!" he exclaimed, trying to hide the flower he had plucked into his pocket. He tried not to crush it. That would totally suck if he did.

That part was actually true. The royal governess had the most eye-catching garden in the kingdom. They were quite obviously a labor of love.

"Are you on break from your gate duties?" she raised a brow, but one can see her eye had wandered to Tygra's pocket.

"Yes Ma'am." he tried to brush off her glare casually. "Just taking a minute from my royal duties to admire your hard work." with this he started taking back baby steps slowly. "Your garden kicks serious butt…I mean, its awesome."

She raised a grayed brow as he took a few more small steps backwards.

"My breakisoverseeyoulater, bye!" and with that he sprinted off back to the palace gates.

She shook her head, trying to stifle a laugh. She had been watching him for the last ten minutes as he was apparently hunting down a particular flower from her sea of astrids. When she looked over she noted the broken stem was from her prized day astrid. She was saving that one to enter in the yearly flower growing competitions. It was the most perfect of all the dozens of flowers in her garden.

Tygraaaa!

She would've pulled his perky ear if she hadn't been laughing so hard.

Her little ward had a girl crush.

She can't wait to remind him when he's all grown up and manly.

_Author notes:_

_Katarah is a figment of my imagination. She is only a cleric in my head and nowhere else. (I do know a person named Katarah for real though). Any inaccuracies in the depiction of the clerics were not intentional and are not to be taken too seriously. Literary license folks!_

_Tygra's Nana is too. She's the royal governess in my head._

_I'm a little rusty in the writing department. My last fanfic was written at least 10 years ago (Flame of Recca). Pardon my errors _

_And just for the heck of it, Tygra and Cheetara will do guest commenting at the end or the beginning of my fics._

_Tygra: Sweet as candy fruit? The thought of it is giving me a toothache. And nausea._

_Cheetara: You know, fanfic writer, I wasn't that smitten. You exaggerate. And I never got distracted during my cleric training._

_Tygra: I believe the writer. The thought of me can be very, very distracting. *winks at Cheetara.*_

_Cheetara: Not every female cat on Thundera wants to throw themselves at your feet you know._

_Tygra: I don't need every female on Thundera throwing themselves at me, I just need one. *smiling slyly.*_

_Ooookay, I'm marching on to the next chapter before you two make me sick. A hopeless romantic can only take so much cheese :)._

11/29/2011


	2. The Flirtation

Fleur D'Amour

By Fuuko no miko

11/29/2011

Chapter 2

_Flirt_

_Author Notes:_

_I think I'm writing this more as fillers for the actual ThunderCats episodes. Exploring on how Cheetara and Tygra came to be mostly because the writers of the show didn't have time to expand that and properly build up the love triangle._

_No triangles here though, just the two of them._

_Of course they belong to their respective creators. The only things I put ownership to are the secondary characters that are not officially in the show._

_Also, I don't think cats really sweat. I used to have 5 cats, none of them sweated, but for purposes of this fiction, the sweat will roll!_

xoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The Thunderan sky was burning in the midsummer heat. Blistering to say the least, with many a cat sweating under the circumstances and trying to get through the labors of the day.

At the courtyard of the palace were two characters engaged in a friendly combat. One a young tiger armed with a bolo whip, and the other a slightly older snow leopard with a wooden staff. They were sweating profusely, breathing fast, prowling around an imaginary circle, waiting for the other to make a move.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

The tiger disappeared as the snow leopard pounced. He had stepped aside, and quickly evaded the attack, but much to his surprise he had found himself alone in the circle.

_Where on Thundera did he go?_

A hit on his upper back with a thick staff answered his question. He fell face first in the dust, the next thing he knew there was a booted foot on his back. He subsequently lost his invisibility.

"Urdu 2, Tygra 1."

He muttered a curse under his breath as he allowed himself to be pulled up from the ground by the older cat.

"How about 3 out of 5?" he suggested as he dusted himself off. One of the guards threw him a towel to wipe off the mixture of sweat and dirt on his chest. Perhaps it was his imagination, or that he heard admiring females sighs.

Not that he can blame them. Win or lose, he always seems to hear a sound of female admiration. He is, after all, one fine specimen. On the corner of his eye he saw a minimum of three admirers waving at him, ogling to say the least.

"If you actually used that brain of yours for thinking rather than preening, you'd have better luck defeating me." chided Urdu.

Idiot read his mind again, Tygra thought. But he supposed that's what friends are for. "You just got lucky."

"I've been lucky for the last five years then," the snow leopard laughed. He tapped Tygra on the back as they headed towards the palace to cool off. "I have to say though, that you're easier to train than your little brother. He gets a little too careless."

"Does that surprise you?" he countered. They entered the palace and were greeted by the cool breeze from inside. They started heading off to their respective quarters. Along the way, they passed by the hallway that led to the clerics quarters. Tygra paused as he saw something dash past him heading towards there.

Was that who he thought it was?

"Hey, you know better than to go in there."

He craned his neck, apparently not hearing Urdu.

"Master Jaga is going to have your head on a platter."

That sentence completely went over his head.

"Tygra."

He craned his neck further.

"You do remember the last time you tried to stick your nose in there."

Yes he does. He was 13 back then and got his tail handed to him by no less than his father.

"No entry means NO entry."

"Who are you looking for in there anyway? Katarah's too old for you, you know." Urdu joked. "Besides, you're not her type. She likes bald, muscular soldier-types."

Something glistened on the marble palace floor. Tygra bent to pick it up. It was a long strand of golden cheetah hair. He raised it within eye level, as though scrutinizing it.

"I hate to say this, your highness, but YOU are beginning to give me the creeps." Urdu forcibly yanked him away from the hallway. "Plenty of kittens in the sea! No sense in going after a cleric. They have their priorities and you are not going to be one of them."

Tygra didn't seem to hear him at all as he held on to that hair strand for dear life.

"You're only 16. You've got many years ahead to find the perfect cat for you." the leopard kept hammering at a fact that the tiger didn't seem to be paying attention to. "Are you even listening?"

Urdu went on and on with his tirade about how he shouldn't waste his time chasing skirts. All of which seemed to go from one ear to another. Sometimes Tygra wondered if some feline broke his friend's heart. He doesn't want to be in the same boat.

Tygra turned his head. He felt as though a pair of eyes were burning holes in his back.

No one was there. Simply an empty hallway.

Behind the passage door to the clerics' quarters, Cheetara was holding her breath, making sure not to make a sound. She felt her heart pounding through her cloak. She was not supposed to go through this way, but it was a faster route. She had the lousy luck to end up with quarters at the very corner of the cleric's wing. This place was her favorite shortcut. It just so happened today that these two clowns chose to stop right as she was passing by and there was no way of avoiding them.

_Is that him?_

_Wow._

She knew who Urdu was. He's one of the palace guard captains who helped train the princes. The other cat was one she almost didn't recognize.

Through a slit in the doorway, she tried to take in his profile.

Katarah said he had a growth spurt, and what a growth spurt it was.

_Oh my._

He had added about another foot or so to his height. He towered the leopard by at least four to five inches. His shoulders were broader, his arms more muscular. He didn't have a shirt on so she was able to see, although only for a breath or two, the well-chiseled chest and abdomen, the sweat trailing off from his neck and back, his hair a fluffy mess.

_Somebody's been working out._

She can almost hear Katarah laughing and teasing her. She turned around and put her hand on her still palpitating chest.

_Great Thundera, this is embarrassing_.

She held her breath, and again risked peeping through the slit of the doorway.

This time he was standing two feet away from the doorway, his eyes meeting hers through the slit, although she wasn't sure he actually saw her, he was **standing right there**.

"Is someone there?"

His voice was even a few baritones lower than she remembered. Cheetara covered her mouth to gasp.

_Crap, he saw me._

"Just us, busy clerics." Cheetara heard a familiar voice boom right next to her. Katarah pushed her aside, opened the door and gave Tygra the stare that gave a thousand clerics the goosebumps. Cheetara moved behind the door where she was still able to see him but he wouldn't be able to see her. Maybe.

"No crossing into cleric territory, prince or not." The more senior cleric stated firmly.

Tygra crossed his arms and smirked, "So I can't invade your territory but you can pass through our hallways randomly? Isn't that against cleric protocol?"

"Nobody's perfect." Katarah replied. "Which is why we have punishment for breaking protocol." She sidekicked Cheetara with a booted foot. "But thanks for reminding me, Prince Tygra, that I should keep a more watchful eye on my juniors."

And with that she firmly closed the door.

A protest died on Tygra's lips. He knew he saw a feminine figure through the narrow slit of the doorway and he was certain it was not the senior cleric. Katarah was a six foot tall lioness with fiery tresses and eyes that would burn a hole through your soul. What he saw in passing was an amber-eyed beauty with hair that shone like the Thunderan sun.

He knew that was her. It had to be.

Cheetara couldn't find the words to defend herself when it was her turn to receive the glare of death.

"You know what Master Jaga's going to say." Katarah began sternly.

"Taking shortcuts is bad?"

"Cheetara!"

"The cleric's anonymity is one of our greatest weapons." She blurted out nervously.

"Exactly." The glare softened a little, but the intimidation that came with it was no better. "What else?"

"Duty above all else." She continued.

"And most importantly?"

"Taking shortcuts is the way of the impatient."

Katarah shook her head and rolled her eyes upward, "For a minute there I thought we've shaken you of that impatience of yours." She loosened her shoulders and took the younger cleric aside, leading her towards the passageway. "You are lucky it wasn't Master Jaga that caught you." She said. "Otherwise all of that sacrifice of yours would've gone to waste. He has little tolerance for bending rules."

Cheetara swallowed. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise."

The lioness smiled at her proudly. "I know it won't. If there is something I know about you, is that you typically learn from your mistakes the first time around." She paused again. "Typically."

Later that night, the young cheetah had found herself scrubbing the floors. She didn't realize the cleric training room was that sizable. Talk about corporal punishment.

For a glimpse of him, it was worth the labor.

_Oh gods, listen to me._

She scolded herself for acting recklessly and getting herself in trouble. "Duty first, Cheetara!" she declared to no one in particular. "No acting like an awestruck teenager!"

Tygra had a very hard time sleeping that night. All he could see was the split second image of who he thought was the prettiest cat he'd seen in all of Thundera.

Maybe he should've joined the clerics too. Damn. He wondered if it was too late to quit being a prince and become a cleric.

The following day during training, he made Urdu eat dirt. Five times in a row.

"Is there something that you're taking that you're not telling me about?' the leopard muttered after the 4th time he rolled over in defeat.

Tygra smiled to himself despite his sleep deprivation, _Now that_, he mused, _is what I call inspiration_.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_Cheetara: I thought we spoke about this, fanfic writer._

_Me: I do have a name you know._

_Cheetara: You don't listen to me. I wasn't that head over heels, good gods! I'm not like that!_

_Tygra: The way I see it, she's giving you an excuse to be smitten, she set us up as teenagers. Teenagers can be smitten!_

_Cheetara *ominous glare.* You're supposed to be on my side._

_Tygra: And you're supposed to be on mine. What is up with you and Lion-O anyway?_

_Cheetara: Cleric duty._

_Tygra: The last time I checked that didn't include kissing on the cheek! I've never seen Jaga kiss anyone to encourage them!_

_Back to our fic….._

Out of sight did not necessarily mean out of mind.

Years passed. Times changed. The passing of the torch became inevitable. There were other things to keep in mind, other things to do. There was training, and lots of it. Cheetara had become one of Jaga's best students. Katarah was beaming when Cheetara was bestowed the honor. This allowed her to participate in the most important missions.

"Your task is to watch Prince Lion-O." Jaga had told her. "Make sure he doesn't get into any more mischief than he already has."

"Yes Master Jaga."

That was the first time she laid eyes on the crown prince. He was a good-natured fellow. She liked him instantly.

Apparently he liked her instantly too. Or so it seemed.

He was going to be a handful, she admitted to herself. But she vowed to do her best to keep him on track.

"Clerics," Jaga gathered them all one morning. "Prepare yourselves for the ceremony in the palace. It is time for the ritual of the Sword of Omens."

They all proceeded to place their hoods and march quietly to the palace. They lined in precise positions as the event started.

Tygra was yawning in boredom. This should've been his moment. The sword of Omens should have been his. But noooo….

He stopped mid-yawn when the clerics walked in.

She's got to be here, he thought. Which one? His ears perked up and his ho-hum attitude disappeared in seconds as his with lethal precision he scanned the clerics one by one.

"Are you flirting?" Lion-O blurted when he saw his brother wink.

Lion-O suppressed a look of disgust when Tygra kicked him in the shin.

**Did he just wink at me**? She thought, mostly aghast, partly excited. Although the conflicting emotions didn't register on her features, as she simply blinked. Her cleric side wanted to throttle him for doing this in the middle of a very important event, while her other half wanted to flirt back.

Not seeing him for six years didn't have a less lethal effect on her senses than it did then. He was no longer the boy who gave her a flower at the steps of the cleric house. He was now a man.

She cleared her throat to erase what she considered unpleasant thoughts in her head.

He better stop looking at her. It was beginning to be uncomfortable.

She tried to focus more on the event and less on the smirking tiger on the other side of the room. _Clerics don't fidget, Cheetara_, she reminded herself.

Of all the feisty felines literally begging him to marry them, he just had to have warm and fuzzy feelings for the one who didn't want anything to do with him, Tygra snorted. The look she responded to his wink with is deader than a 3000 year old mummy.

Deep inside him a 10 year old's heart broke in half.

_Maybe I should've been more subtle._ He thought.

But he wasn't about to stop trying.

Later that night more celebrations commenced at the arrival of Grune. It was one lively festivity that brought most of the kingdom out in jubilation. Jaga had allowed several of the clerics to mingle with the regular folk sans their cloaks. Katarah had begged off and left Cheetara by her lonesome. She ended up seated next to a bunch of cats she didn't know. She remained in the background, observing for trouble as opposed to actually enjoying the party. She had her gaze trained to Prince Lion-O who was with Master Jaga. Tygra was seated next to Grune earlier but had now dropped out of sight.

"He's pretty good on the dance floor, yes?" an older woman sitting next to her leaned over and commented.

"I'm sorry?" Cheetara's eyes glanced over the dance floor and spotted the point of reference waltzing with one of the ladies of the court. "Um, yes I suppose so." she replied politely.

Not that she didn't really notice. This was dance number 5 if she counted correctly. He had his way among the felines, indeed.

Tygra can sense that she looked his way from time to time. Whoever said feline intuition is exclusive to females doesn't know what they're talking about.

Truth be told, the whole time he was asking a lady to dance, what he truly wanted to do was ask_ her_ to dance.

He was afraid she was going to turn her down flat if he went and asked her to. Petrified was the more operative word. For all his cockiness, deep inside he was still a tongue tied ten-year old.

Cheetara has mastered the art of controlling her blushing. Yes! Cleric training has its perks! She managed to suppress one when she saw him approach their table.

"May I have this dance?"

"But of course."

The elderly feline who sat next to Cheetara's cheerily replied and gave Tygra her hand as he led her to the dance floor. He put on a smile, kissed her hand, placed his arm around her waist and guided her to the slow waltz. It was quite a sight to see, as she was half as tall and twice as wide as he was. The expression on his face was genuine and warm towards the older lady.

"I've missed you, Nana." Tygra addressed the older woman with a nod.

"Well aren't you looking dapper?" the former governess laughed. "I have to refuse to be another one of your conquests."

"I know better than to cross you, Nana." He teased back.

"That's the smartest thing you've learned from me." She verified.

"That, and how to treat a lady." Tygra added.

"Ah! No wonder you're Thundera's most eligible!" she joked.

They laughed heartily at that comment. Tygra maneuvered his old nanny closer to where Cheetara was sitting. He wanted more than a glimpse of her this time.

_She's so beautiful…._he thought, echoing his thoughts when they first crossed paths. _What's a cat got to do to get close to you, Cheetara of the Thundercats?_

"Are you and Lion-O still trying to outdo each other?" the older woman interrupted his train of thought.

"Oh come on Nana, you know it would be a no contest." He quickly responded.

"You boys! Still fighting about everything!" She reflected. She then changed her tone, "Is that her?"

The unexpected comment brought color to Tygra's cheeks. "Erm…I don't know what you mean, Nana."

She tilted her head towards Cheetara's direction. "The girl you plucked my prized astrid for."

"Nana!"

He was full blown red. Luckily the shadows of the night concealed it. He quickly diverted his former governess away from Cheetara's hearing range.

"Your body is over here but your eyes are over there." she commented with a wink, "Maybe you should have asked her to dance instead."

All of a sudden he felt like a child again, getting caught with his paw in the cookie jar.

"Listen to your Nana." she muttered and led him away as the music ended. She whispered to him before lumbering her way back to the table, "Ask her to dance Tygra, before someone else does."

"I will, Nana." somehow pep talk from his old nanny gave him courage.

It was too late. She was gone.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

_Cheetara: *eyes Tygra warily* YOU can actually dance?_

_Tygra: *smiling proudly* Tygra can do anything._

_Cheetara *rolls eyes upward* Except ask ME to dance._

_Tygra: Erm…._

_*Crickets chirping*_

_Cheetara: Cheetara 1, Tygra 0_

_Me: Touche!_

_This is a song from my childhood in the Philippines. Its title is "Don't Know What to Do." I thought it would be most appropriate_

_for our story here so I am sharing the lyrics with everyone out there._

_I have loved you only in my mind  
But I know that there will come a time  
To feel this feeling I have inside  
You're a hopeless romantic is what they say  
Falling in and out of love just like a play  
Memorizing each line, I still don't know what to say  
What to say...  
Don't know what to do whenever you are near  
Don't know what to say, my heart is floating in tears  
When you pass by I could fly  
Every minute, every second of the day  
I dream of you in the most special way  
You're beside me all the time  
All the time...  
[ Lyrics from: .com/lyrics/r/ric_segreto/dont_know_what_to_ ]  
I have loved you and I always will  
Call it crazy but I know someday you'll feel  
This feeling I have for you inside  
I'm a hopeless romantic I know I am  
Memorized all the lines and here I am  
Struggling for words I still don't know what to say  
What to say..._

_Don't know what to do whenever you are near_  
_Don't know what to say, my heart is floating in tears_  
_When you pass by I could fly_  
_Every minute, every second of the day_  
_I dream of you in the most special way_  
_You're beside me all the time_  
_All the time... all the time... all the time..._

11/30/2011


	3. The Tension

Fleur D'Amour

by Fuuko no Miko

11/30/2011

Chapter 3

The Tension

_Author notes:_

_I've been on a ThunderCat Marathon (much to my 5 year old's chagrin, he wanted to watch Tangled) to pick up more ideas for chapter 3. _

_This may take a little longer than the first two chapters. I was thinking this to be the last chapter but knowing me, it might extend to another one or two._

_Bear with me, fellow shippers._

_And the more I watch it, the more I *heart* Panthro! He is such a badass, lol!_

_Panthro: Hey you're not including me in this silly cotton candy story are you?_

_Me: I just might, but don't worry! I'll make sure you get all the nice dialogue!_

_FYI, this scenario was set during "The Duelist and The Drifter" episode as well as parts of "Berbils." And if I'm not too indecisive, maybe "The Forest of Magi Oar."_

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Feminine wiles are nothing but trouble."

Tygra turned to his right. "Huh?"

"You heard me!" snapped Panthro. "Female cats are nothing but trouble. They mess with your head. They mess with your work. They mess with your judgment…"

A smidgen of dirt fell on Tygra's forehead when Panthro started banging on the Thundertank. He wiped it off with the back of his hand while shooting a confused look at his comrade who was hammering the bottom of the vehicle incessantly. "I'm not understanding." he yelled at the top of his voice, trying to speak over the loud clanging.

"Hand me that sharp looking silver thingamajig over there."

"The what?" Tygra was covering his ears now. Panthro's beating on the underbelly of the tank made it feel like he was inside a ringing bell instead of under the Thundertank.

"That danggung sharp, pointy, silver thing over to your left! I don't know what's freaking called! I just know what it does!"

With one hand covering his ear, Tygra reached from under the tank to Panthro's toolbox.

"That's my foot."

Tygra jerked his hand away and reflexively sat up, forgetting the tank bottom was just six inches from his head.

**Baaaang!**

The sound of his head hitting the metal underwork of the tank was louder than any mechanical sound Panthro was making, this followed by an even louder "Ooooooowww!"

The thundertank started chugging.

"Hey I guess that's all we needed!" the panther exclaimed. He turned to the still dazed tiger, patting him on the shoulder, "Good job!"

"You okay Tygra?" a small voice piped in.

"That's gonna leave a mark. Luckily, not on the tank."

Panthro let out a roar of laughter before sliding out from under his vehicle. He dragged Tygra out by one leg and dropped him like a bad habit on the ground. The older thundercat could all but take two steps before falling on his knees from laughing. He tried to wipe tears from eyes while making an effort not to choke.

Tygra was literally seeing stars.

"Not funny!" he barked while trying to sit up and regain his bearings. He put a hand on his forehead and tried to focus on restoring his vision. There was a lump the size of a breadfruit on his forehead and when he took his hand off he felt something wet.

Is that blood?

The kittens were no help. They were roaring louder than Panthro.

"I'm sorry." he heard her apologize. "I thought I heard Panthro asking for the sharp silver whatever-that-thing is." he then felt a warm hand on his forehead, trying to stop the bleeding with a ripped piece of cloth which he recognized was a sliver off her wardrobe. "It was out of reach so I tried to hand it to you."

Through his daze he could make out her figure kneeling next to his sorry behind, her hand pressed against his head. He felt her other hand supporting his back. A light breeze blew strands of her golden hair across his face.

_Maybe I should do this more often._

_This is so worth it._

His two minutes of bliss were rapidly replaced by chagrin when he heard her call WilyKit and requested her to hold on to the cloth while she looked for some herbs to dress his wound.

"Trouble I tell you." Panthro shook his head after getting over his laughing spell. He stood above Tygra and pushed his index finger on his bump as though to emphasize a point. "Especially clerics."

Cheetara didn't know how she made it trying to hold her breath throughout the half hour that followed. She's never been this close to him. She tried to focus on the inch-sized open wound oozing on his forehead instead of the proximity of his face to her chest.

She can feel his breath on her skin and couldn't help the goosebumps that rose.

_Think disgusting thoughts. Think disgusting thoughts. Think disgusting thoughts._

_Mumm-ra's morning breath. Katarah's attempts to bake anything. Washing soiled linen from the "punishment" laundry pile._

She felt him flinch when she rubbed the crushed leaves on his injury.

"Sorry." she muttered. "It'll heal in no time though." she stepped back to check her handiwork and to actually bring her feet back down to earth from a momentary walk in the clouds..

_That was over too soon._

_If only you knew how adorable you looked at attempting to be a gentleman._

Cheetara threw away the rest of the salve and a little too quickly walked away.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I owe you one." he called after her as she disappeared in the thicket.

"Don't mention it." she called back, trying not to turn her head to hide the crimson in her cheeks.

_Cleric ability to hide blushing. Fail!_

Panthro smacked him on the back a little too hard. "Kid, you're hopeless." he muttered and marched back to his machine. "My baby's making progress! Woohooo!"

Tygra exhaled. He tried so hard not to breathe on her chest while she tended to his wound that he almost passed out.

_Maybe __I__ should've,_ he realized, _That'd__ make__ her__ attend __to__ me __longer._

On second thought, she might just leave him to the mercy of the twins and a panther that didn't care diddly squat.

_I just can't win._

Cheetara took that time to walk by herself in the forest. They've had a long, intense journey and times for quiet self-reflection are few and far between.

She took seat on a big, flat rock that faced a small clearing where the uneven sized trees let through splinters of sunshine. She lay down, closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of the rays and a breeze that made its way through the leaves. The scene was so serene it almost made one forget.

Almost.

She was handed a first dose of tragedy when she lost her family before she even knew them. She had grown up in an orphanage among other parentless cubs. They were never deprived of love, however, as their foster mother treated them like her own. She had been a great woman, making them the best meals and telling them great legends of Thundera. She had been a cleric to King Claudus' court before she had become too ill to carry out her duties. She had left with Jaga's blessing and had decided to welcome to her home those unfortunate cubs with nowhere to go.

_"I'm going to be a cleric too, Mama," Cheetara remembered telling her foster mother when she was barely 4 years of age. "So I can serve the kingdom just like you."_

_Her Mama would then ruffle her hair and always say, "You can be anything you put your mind to, my golden angel."_

The day after her Mama's illness took its toll, was the day Cheetara found herself taking the road towards the clerics residence in the Thunderan palace.

And that's when she first crossed paths with him

Cheetara remembered that day well. He couldn't spew a word out of his mouth when she first approached him with a question. She had found him quite adorable then, with the admiration only a ten year old could understand. She had been watching him being ignored by passersby for a few minutes before she decided to talk to him. She sensed that he too, wanted to belong and be useful.

Little did she know that he belonged to the royal family. He didn't have the airs of a blueblood. He seemed like a very down-to-earth kind of cat.

Then there was the flower.

Still intact, although fragile, she kept it in her keep for as long as she could, as much as she could.

His act of kindness continues to warm her heart, even twelve years later.

However…

Since when did he become so…snarky?

And the nerve! Wink at her during a sacred passing of the gauntlet ceremony! Who on Thundera did he think he was?

Or who did he think _she_ was? She was no easy prey! She was nothing like those other ladies of the court who fainted at the sight of him and had no qualms about confessing their attraction.

_No sir, not me! _

A smile crossed her lips.

_I wonder what he would've done if I winked back at him?_

The object of her thoughts, unbeknownst to her, had been observing her quietly amongst the trees. Her eyes were closed so couldn't see that he was sitting in a branch just about twenty feet from where she lay.

Tygra had decided against rendering himself invisible as he watched her. He thought that was a little creepy.

And stalkerish.

She looked so peaceful, laying there, her hair spread like a blanket of gold against the onyx-like blackness of the rock where she laid. Her features so serene and delicate, no one would think that under that gentle demeanor was a fierce, loyal warrior who defended her kingdom with the determination of a Thunderan general. She was a study in contrasts, a cat who looked like an angel yet who fought like the devil.

He sighed.

_So near, and yet so far._

"Do you like Cheetara too, Tygra?"

The tiger prince almost fell off his perch. He caught himself just in time and regained his balance. He quickly covered WilyKat's mouth over before rapidly taking him down the tree with him and pulling him aside beyond earshot.

_I heard that._

She felt a tiny flutter on her chest.

_The prince doesn't realize sometimes how unintentionally cute he can be._

_Cute and snarky._

_And stalkerish._

Somehow that didn't sound right.

"What was that for?" WilyKat finally piped up after getting dragged halfway through the forest by Tygra who's ears looked a little too perky and pointy at this particular moment in time.

WilyKat thought he saw smoke coming out of his ears.

And nose.

"I was just asking." He smiled sheepishly. "Geez."

"And where on third earth did you ever get that idea?"

The young kitten kicked some imaginary dirt with his toes. "Panthro."

His jaw dropped open. "What?"

"Panthro said you look at Cheetara different." The little one grinned from ear to ear. "But he said women were nothing but trouble. Aaaand…." He paused thoughtfully before continuing, "He actually told me to get you because he needed help with the Thundertank."

Tygra turned around, muttering something incomprehensible under his breath and stomped back towards their camp site.

WilyKit somehow mysteriously appeared next to her brother. "I told you he'd get mad." she lectured. Her eyes then became dreamy, "When I grow up, I'm going to be as pretty as Cheetara and have all the kings and princes fight over me."

WilyKat crossed his arms, "I don't see that happening." He rubbed his chin, "Yep, that's pretty impossible if you ask me."

He scampered away before Kit had the chance to hit him on the head.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo

It was complete chaos.

The sounds of explosion, The deafening screams. The collapse of the once great walls of Thundera. The scampering of animals everywhere in the futile attempt to escape their inevitable fate.

It was a sight of pure terror.

Camouflaged among the first walls that had collapsed were the clerics. They sat motionless, awaiting for the signal for them to commence battle.

Beneath her hood, Cheetara couldn't help but feel an unspeakable horror. She had never seen this much destruction. And though her intense training as a cleric prevented her from showing emotions, inside she felt her heart being ripped to pieces as her once called home had become a smoking debris.

"This is it."

She turned to Katarah, who was crouched a few feet away. Through the darkness, she can see the sadness in her feline friend's eyes.

And tears streaming down her face. The veil covering her facial features was stained.

In the twelve years she had trained with her fellow cleric, Cheetara had never seen Katarah shed a tear. Not when anyone died, not when she got punished, not when she had been put through trials that would break even the mightiest of Thundercats.

Yet today….

Her friend seemed to have read her mind.

"This is our home, Cheetara. Our life." she responded to the unspoken question. "Thundera is all I have lived for." she paused before continuing, "I'm not going to let any creature desecrate it."

The cheetah nodded in agreement.

And as they prepared for battle, her friend removed the veil from her face and looked at her intently. "You are the sister I never had, Cheetara." she said, "One I will always cherish to the afterlife."

Cheetara swallowed, trying to hold back her own emotions. "You're my sister too, Katarah." was all she could muster at that moment.

The lioness replaced her veil, "Cheetara, if I don't make it through this, can you promise me something?"

She shot her a querying look.

"That if you make it…" she spoke as though making a prophecy, "That you will keep an eye on my cousins?"

The puzzled expression on her face drew an answer from the other cleric. "King Claudus is my uncle. Lion-O and Tygra are my cousins. I relinquished my royal position to become a cleric when they were but babies, so they don't know me, but I know them. I would rather serve the crown than wear one."

"They're going to be great leaders someday." Katarah continued before winking at Cheetara, "As long as they don't kill each other first."

The signal was given.

"Farewell, my sister."

Cheetara jolted from her sleep, a silent scream on her lips. The last vision she had before the rude awakening was her friend meeting her death in the hands of Mumm-Ra.

"No!" she gasped.

Across the campfire, a figure was crouched over, feeding the flame with the logs he just retrieved. It was his turn to be the night watch when he observed her moving restlessly in her sleep. When she snapped awake breathing heavily and with an expression of terror on her face, he knew she was having a nightmare.

Again.

He was beside her in a heartbeat.

"Are you okay?"

His hand was on her upper back, gently touching. It seemed to take a while for her to realize it had all just been a very bad dream.

She looked at him, confused at first. Her eyes had an expression of fear that he had never witnessed before. There were beads of sweat on her forehead and what appeared to be the beginning of tears in her eyes.

"It's not real. You're alright." he gently reassured her as he rubbed her back. "I'm here."

It took ungodly restraint for him not to take her in his arms and hold her tightly until her fears faded away.

Once realizing it wasn't real, Cheetara covered her mouth, stifling a cry of anguish. She buried her face in her hands and shook her head, as though trying to shake the terrible visions away.

The next thing she knew he had put an arm around her shoulders and had slowly pulled her against his comforting chest. She felt his claws gently stroking her hair.

"It's okay, Cheetara. I'm here for you."

She closed her eyes, resigning to the warmth of his gentle embrace. She allowed him to ease her pain with quiet resignation.

It was this vision of his brother holding her that greeted Lion-O when he stirred. He had heard the minor turmoil and had slowly opened one eye to see what it was all about.

_No._

_Must you challenge me on everything, brother?_

The duel he had earlier had taken a great physical toll on him and he was unable to keep awake for a second longer. The last thing he saw before he drifted back to sleep was the cleric in his brother's arms.

_A cat can get used to this_, Tygra thought, still maintaining his light hold on her. He felt her hand on his open chest. He had discarded some parts of his armor earlier to clean them up, rendering his upper chest bare. Under her hand his heart was beating erratically, betraying the calm, cool, exterior he presented.

_I love you so much._

_Too much._

_But I don't have the courage to tell you._

_I've been rejected by the sword of Omens already._

_If you rejected me too then that will be the end of me._

He bit his lower lip in restraint, lest he voice out what his heart had been telling him all along, all this time.

She lifted her head and looked at him. There was an intense fire in his gentle brown eyes that burned.

"Are you okay?" she blinked as she pulled away from his embrace. It was extremely tempting to stay in the warmth of his comforting arms, but there was something about it that she couldn't put her finger on that made her pull away.

"I should be asking you that." somehow, snarky Tygra reappeared, the trademark smirk registering on his features. "You're the one waking up in a tizzy."

She didn't know whether she wanted to thank him for calming her down or slap him upside the head for that last comment.

Their gazes locked for a second or two.

"Thank you." she decided at last, crawling back into her sleeping bag. "I owe you one."

"That makes us even." he replied, indicating the healing laceration on his forehead.

He could've kicked himself repeatedly for the last exchange.

_You blew it, you idiot. Big time._

He growled in frustration. Why does this have to be so hard?

_You know Tygra, sometimes it's the one you like the most that's the most difficult to express your feelings to, Urdu used to tell him._

_Why is that? He couldn't believe they were talking about women in the middle of an arm wrestling match._

_Because you're so emotionally involved that you're afraid of messing it up. Then you end up saying something really dumb!_

_Are you talking from experience?_

_You're going to be in those shoes someday, just you wait._

_Not in this lifetime my friend. Felines are putty in Prince Tygra's hands!_

_Oh you'll find your match, you will. Someday some sly kitten is going to make putty out of you._

It's too bad he perished early in battle, Urdu did. He would've loved to hear Tygra admit that he was right.

xoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxox

"Hey kid, mind if I borrow that noggin of yours again?" Panthro bellowed through the rain as he started hammering on the Thundertank, yet again.

"It's only single use, thank you very much." Tygra replied as he sat against a giant mushroom, rubbing the linear scar on his forehead. It's barely perceptible now. "You can ask Lion-O though, I'm sure his skull's thicker than mine."

"Oooh, no wonder the Thunder tank's broken. It got hit by something more dense." the Thunderian lord remarked.

"Would you like to feel something that's even denser?"

"Forget I even asked." the panther rubbed his rain soaked head.

"Cheetara said you had a bump the size of my fist."

"Well then it wasn't such a big bump was it?"

It took all of Panthro's self-control not to want to pick up the brothers and use both their heads on the Thundertank, just for a laugh if nothing else.

"Good night." Cheetara spoke aloud to signal the brothers that it was time to hit the sack.

"Sweet dreams."

He wasn't sure if he or his brother who had replied to her, as Tygra could no longer keep his eyelids open. He leaned against the giant mushroom and fell into slumber. They've all had a long day of travel with no food, no supplies and now, no shelter. The downpour was like a punchline to this joke nobody was laughing at.

He stirred about a few hours later, his back hurting from his bad position. He was awakened by the symphony of snores of Panthro and Lion-O. He was about to throw whatever was within arm's reach at his brother when he felt something soft brushing against his left hand.

_Spider?_

_Rodent?_

_Snarf?_

He moved his hand an inch when he felt something nuzzle his left shoulder.

_Whoa._

He almost snapped into full consciousness when he saw the waves of golden hair resting on this shoulder.

_Am I dreaming?_

She shifted very slightly, turning her head towards him. She pressed her face a little closer to his upper chest. If he hadn't been wearing thick armor, he swore he would feel her gentle breath on his fur.

He doesn't recall her even being remotely near him when he fell asleep. If he remembered correctly she was standing up and scanning the surroundings before telling him and Lion-O to clam up and go to bed.

Times like this he wished he had his blue royal garments on, it would have allowed her to sleep closer to him.

Despite his back and neck muscles threatening to cramp on him, he didn't budge an inch as he didn't want to wake her up by moving.

He also didn't want to take the chance that she change her mind and move to the mushroom tree right across him where his brother was doing his best impression of their late father.

He looked at her with want in his eyes. The small of her back was resting so close to his wrist that he resisted the temptation to put his arm around her waist and pull her closer to keep her warm from this torrent.

He could sit like this all night and just watch her sleep, muscle cramps notwithstanding.

Alas the fatigue set in rather too quickly for his liking as his lids fell heavy once more. He tilted his head towards the top of hers, getting the scent of her hair in his nostrils. His impulse control nil, he had planted but the lightest of kisses on the top of her sleeping head.

"I love you." he whispered almost inaudibly.

Her ears twitched, but he had already gone back to sleep.

"I love you too." she replied softly, barely hearing herself that she wasn't sure she actually said it or if it was her subconscious that was talking.

In the background, the pelting of the rain lulled them all back to slumber. And for once, since the invasion of her homeland, Cheetara did not have a single nightmare.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

_Me: Coming up, Chapter 4 and The Forest of Magi Oar! And maybe even the last chapter!_

_Tygra: About time. I need to get me some action!_

_Me; Hey! This is a kid-friendly story!_

_Cheetara: Pervert._

_Tygra: Hey I wasn't the one who put their arms up my shirt._

_Cheetara: That was on top of your armor. The angle just made it look like I had my arms in your shirt. Those animators are just as demented as you are._

_Tygra: How did we end up with this conversation? I wasn't referring to anything perverted at all!_

_Me: If you're looking for an action story, then you're in the wrong fanfiction. I don't do combat._

_Cheetara: You guys are giving me a headache._

_Tygra: I give good head massages._

_Panthro: Line me up for one. Fixing that tank is giving me a migraine of epic proportions._

_Tygra: On second thought…read and review please :-)!_


	4. The Confrontation

Fleur D'Amour  
Chapter 4  
The Confrontation

12/3/2011

_Author Notes:_  
_This may be the last chapter of the official story, but I also might have one adults-only extra chapter. Yes I just had to go there. What I can't draw, I suppose I can write. You wouldn't know how many sketch-attempts I had of these two and I can't seem to make it happen._

_I never know when this thing will truly end. I'm on chapter 4 now and when I started it was only supposed to be a one-shot._

_I also have to confess, a Lion-O/Cheetara fanfic is very, very, tempting. Although how I can pull that off may take a lot of time, and a lot of manipulation. I've pulled rabbits out of my literary hat before with pairings I didn't completely support (Tokiya-Fuuko) but that was a whole twist of the entire animation universe. I had to rewrite the entire series and it took me 6 months to achieve._

_Wait and watch._

_I also know I've skipped half the first season trying to explain how and why they got together. The problem was I couldn't think of how to insert situations that would allow them to get all touchy-feely. Episodes 8 and 9 did present me with opportunities which resulted in the previous chapter. Although I may backpedal from time to time, who knows? Heck I don t even know where I m going sometimes until after I finish an entire chapter._

_And I know I said, no Lion-O triangle, but I can t help it. He 's way too cute to ignore. So he'll be making apperances from time to time._

_Anyway, enough of the random babble. Here it comes. This would be around the Berbils episode and forward._

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo

She looked like the cat that got the canary.

He wondered why she had a knowing smile on her lips when he first saw her that morning. She had an expression that he couldn't quite put a label on.

Maybe the lack of food and a good night's sleep was beginning to get into her head.

That wasn't good.

And despite the fact that every inch of him was sore from leaning uncomfortably against a tree of mushrooms, inside he felt fantastic.

He had the most beautiful dream last night.

Cheetara couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Sure she was starving and she hurt every inch from roots of her hair to the tips of her toes but waking up this morning she had a fuzzy feeling over her heart and stars in her eyes.

She didn't have a single nightmare last night.

Plus she had but the shortest but sweetest dream.

She dreamed that she had been sleeping against her snarky prince and that he had leaned forward to kiss her hair.

And tell her those three words she's been aching to hear from his beautiful lips.

"My hair's stuck."

Of course that was earlier this morning. She woke up before everyone else had and that was the first thing she noted. She had slumped over from her lean against the tree last night and had found her head resting on Tygra's lap.

He was so deep in sleep he was actually snoring.

It was a light snore however, not like the machine-like humming of Panthro nor the noisy snarl of Lion-O. It was the sound of exhaustion.

He was sprawled partially on the ground and partly against the tree, she was laying on him with her head in a precarious spot on his lap, her left arm resting on his chest, her right hand touching his leg. His claws were curled suggestively on her midsection and his other hand tangled in her hair.

Unfortunately that wasn't the only place her hair was twisted in.

_Stupid suit of armor._

She had no idea how her hair got entangled in the dumb thing but all she knew was that she needed to get out of it before someone else finds them in this extremely awkward position.

_Great Thundera this is going to hurt._

Thank heavens that she had more hair than she knew what do with.

It was her rapid yank that woke him up. Luckily her speed not only applied to her running. Years of cleric training had trained her how to get the strands of hair from his belt line without making a sound and with the speed and precision of a military tactician.

"What are you so happy about? "

"We've got food, shelter, the Thundertank 's fixed, what not to be happy about? " Tygra whistled as he walked behind his brother and Cheetara. They were headed off to the auction to confront the Conquedor and rescue the captured berbils.

Lion-O looked over his shoulder. His older brother looked _too happy_. The last time he actually saw his brother like this was after he was bestowed the highest honors for excellence in combat school a few years ago. He wondered if it had anything to do with last night. Sleeping under a tree with Cheetara next to him.

Did something happen that he didn't know about?

He shook the thought off his head. Panthro was up almost all night and even though Lion-O snored like the dickens, he doesn't sleep _that deeply_. If something was going on right across him, he would've woken up at some point.

Wouldn't he?

It's too bad he couldn't use his sight beyond sight to find out.

He wasn't sure he wanted to find out anyway.

He glanced over to the cleric walking next to him. She acknowledged him a warm smile. Nothing about her expression or demeanor seemed off. She was her usual sweet, caring self. It was Tygra's lack of snippy-ness and sarcasm that was bugging him.

Maybe the prince had turned his ways around after being a lifelong curmudgeon?

Somehow he doubted that.

These thoughts dissipated as they arrived at the auction site. There was a mission to complete.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxoxo

"You know we're going to have to settle this eventually, may the best cat win."

That sentence bothered the tiger to no end.

He was on the balcony of the wood forger's school, his vision trained to the skies, awaiting the return of the beast Viragor, or his little brother. Perhaps both. His arms crossed, a worried expression evident on his features.

His mind was racing a million miles a minute.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?"

His gaze shifted to her and despite his concerns over his brother, he acknowledged that the moonlight flattered her exquisite feline features. She approached him and stopped about a foot away.

_This isn't the time or place to be thinking about that, Tygra_, he reminded himself.

"Of course I'm worried." he confessed. He turned to her before continuing, "I know we have our differences but he's still my brother and I do care about him."

She agreed. "He's going to be okay. " she reassured. "I have faith in him."

He replied with a nod, knowing deep inside Lion-O can handle himself. A part of him, however, felt a little stab of jealousy at the way she spoke about him.

He wasn't blind or stupid. He's seen the way she treated him, how she would advise him, hold his hand, constantly boost his confidence and treat him with respect and reverence when others did not.

He reluctantly turned away, his gaze shifting to the empty space in between him and the evening sky.

It was hard enough to concede that he wasn't going to wield the Sword of Omens anytime soon, and that unless he was reborn a lion that he was never going to be King, however he proved himself.

But to lose her to his brother too, after carrying a torch for her for over a decade?

He felt as though the Universe conspired against him.

Life sure knows how to play cruel jokes. This one was not particularly funny.

His dialogue with Lion-O earlier tonight nagged at him. His brother apparently knew that he had feelings for the cleric. He didn't know if it was just that evident, or how he's given away his feelings for her. She didn't seem to know, or at least acknowledge that she had a clue? More importantly, his younger sibling knew, and was willing to compete for it.

They've always been battling each other since they were cubs, whether it was for King Claudus' attention or for the last cookie on the desert plate. It was always a contest, and for the great majority of the time, Tygra emerged victorious.

His victories over his sibling was what fueled his confidence throughout the years. He knew he was good, and there was no shame about it. He was cocky and maybe a little overkill rubbing it in Lion-O's face the things he outshone him on. But when it came to things that he knew he couldn't control, his self-esteem took a nosedive.

She was one of those variables.

Cheetara took a step back, sensing that he wanted to be alone at this moment. She had approached him to thank him for saving her from becoming bird fodder earlier, but he didn't seem to be in the mood for it. She disappeared silently into the background, making a mental note to express her gratitude at a better time.

It felt wrong for brothers to be at odds because of affection for the same cat. It's bad enough that they fight over most everything, but this one too?

That's why he didn't have a smart aleck comeback for the statement Lion-O had made earlier. He usually has an abrasive if not amusing retort to his brother's challenges, but for this one he could only reply him with silence.

Mostly because he didn't feel it was right.

Another because he wasn't certain about where he stood on this one.

Truth be told, if only he could admit it to his heart, he felt that he was going to lose this one to the crowned king.

_Score another one for you, Lion-O._

"Yep, life is just peachy." he growled before turning around.

He replaced his whip onto his holster. He remembered how it wrapped around her body as he pulled her from the beak of certain death. She had fallen straight into his arms and for the few minutes he held her there, he savored the feel of her fur on his. The contact her eyes made with his, the partly opened lips expressing surprise at her rescue. He couldn't help but smile at her at that moment after saying "Gotcha." It channeled how he felt at the moment, having her in his possession, temporary though it may be.

He figured, this was the closest he was going to get.

_Life be damned._

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxo

_"You know its not like you to quit."_

_He recalled this statement after one particularly difficult session with Urdu. He was 13 then, and after the nth time of losing his newly acquired whip to his opponent, he just about threw in the towel._

_"What's the point?" he had plopped down on the concrete. "I'm good with most any other weapon. Not having this dumb whip in my repertoire isn't going to hurt me."_

_The snow leopard shook his head. "All of the weapons in your repertoire are to be used when you are in the immediate proximity of your opponent." he lectured the young prince, "this is one you can use from a distance. It will come in handier than you think."_

_His sparring partner demonstrated that in their next battle by using the bolo whip to capture Tygra's sword and toss it several feet away. The prince lunged after it but got his leg tangled in the same whip Urdu used to throw his sword away in the first place. He was dragged back across the ground and tied up in loops with the weapon he had given up on._

_"Point taken." he finally agreed as the battle ended. He gave his friend a look of pure determination as he tried to release himself, "Next time we meet, I'm going to wrap your tail in it."_

_Urdu laughed. "Now that's the Prince Tygra I know. Never giving up!"_

xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxo

Comparing his whip to the love of his young life didn't seem fair, but the thought behind it did.

Prince Tygra isn't going to go down that easy.

Not now, not ever.

Well, maybe this could be the exception rather than the rule.

The conflict of emotions was beginning to make his head hurt. Even more so than hitting it on the bottom of the Thundertank.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The days that followed made Cheetara wonder. Tygra had been unusually somber and had been sulking through most of the journey back to the Elephant village.

Something must be truly bothering him for him to be this quiet and distant.

She didn't recall of any great incident that transgressed that could result in him being so unlike his normal, snarky self.

For the most part, she has seen him interact normally with Panthro and the kids, but when it came to her and his brother, he was just extremely laconic.

Luckily she had not heard the comment that sparked the whole incident.

"It's probably the same reason she's gonna chose me."

"And just like the sword one more thing you don't deserve."

Lion-O on the other hand, was the extreme opposite. He was jovial and rather perky.

As though him and he's older brother had a bet and Tygra had lost some kind of wager.

Maybe he did.

She wondered if there was anything she could do to cheer him up.

Later on, the brothers were arguing.

Yet again.

With Lion-O ordering that they wait until nightfall and sneak in the village, while Tygra insisting on attacking then and there with the Thundertank.

She just had to break the bickering. This was not healthy. "The tank can't make it." she finally put her foot down.

"Besides, I've always considered stealth to be your greatest strength." she turned to him, hoping that a genuine compliment him might help break him out of this funk he was in.

"No wonder I've always been invisible to you."

_Well that didn't work._

She had been reflecting on the events of the day as she stood guard in front of the entrance to the Astral plane. Tygra has been edgy and out of sorts and it concerned her greatly. When Anet mentioned that he was going to betray Lion-O before the evening bell sounded tomorrow, it made her worry even more.

She wanted to get to the bottom of things but she wasn't certain where to begin.

_It has to do something with their rivalry_, she thought. Is it finally getting to Tygra? She knew Lion-O can sometimes be insensitive when making comments about the sword of Omens choosing him, and of his position of being the Lord of the Thundercats. She had attributed that mostly to his lack of maturity and his wanting to one-up his older brother who seemed to have beaten him in every contest they had. It's been brewing as far as she could remember. She even remembered in her early days that even the clerics silently took sides when it came to the two of them, although they never truly mentioned it.

Perhaps Lion-O has pushed his brother's buttons long enough and the latter was at his breaking point.

She feared that Tygra was going to lose it when they got into the Astral planes and do something he was going to regret later on.

She closed her eyes and said a prayer. She knew she could do little else.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

He didn't know if it was just being in the Astral plane, his brother debating with him for the infinite time, or the tremendous battle waiting outside that was getting on his feline nerve.

Maybe all three.

He snapped.

And that was when he found himself wielding his own sword of Omens and trying to show Lion-O he didn't need the real one to show who the better cat was.

"You took the crown, you took her!"

If there were any doubts on the extent of his jealousy at Cheetara and Lion-O's relationship, they had been cast away by that very sentence.

Tygra was literally seeing red.

A cat can only take so much.

He felt the rage in every hair on his body.

It was as though the sky have been falling on him, piece by little piece.

From as far as he can remember he was constantly reminded that he was never going to be King. That had fueled his desire to upstage Lion-O whenever he could, hoping against hope that they would reconsider, break Thundera's rules and traditions and place a candidate that the rest of the kingdom considered fit for the position. It was a battle he was never going to win, but he never stopped trying.

When he first laid his eyes on the sword of Omens and witnessed its capability, he was awestruck. He had his heart set on it since and repeatedly denied the reality that there was no way in this lifetime it was going to be his. The sword had chosen his brother and that was a truth he was going to have to live with no matter how much it pained him.

And then there was her.

He had carried a torch for her for more than half his lifetime. He had gotten in trouble plenty with every attempt to catch a glimpse of her in the cleric residence. Her image had burned itself into his memory since the day they met. He had his share of short-lived romances and flings, but deep inside, it was her face that he saw, her voice that he heard, her touch that he yearned for. He still clung on to the thin fabric of hope that she would return his feelings for her someday. But Lion-O seemed to have doused cold water over that burning flame of hope.

It was all he could stand.

And with every swing and clash of his sword against the sword of Omens was a release of pent up rage. He's had his frustrations up to here and by Thundera he was going to let his little brother know what his pain was like. The pain of rejection.

With a final blow he sent Lion-O to the bottomless pit.

If he thought that sending his brother over the edge was going to make him feel any better, then he was gravely mistaken.

For as soon as he saw him disappear from sight and fall into the well, he was gripped by an intense feeling of regret.

_What did I do?_

He stood there for several seconds, as though in shock.

And with the mention of King Claudus', he was shaken completely out of the red haze he seemed to be in.

_What would Father say?_

That although the blood that flowed in their veins was not the same, he was no less of a son to him that Lion-O was and that he loved the both of them unconditionally.

He remembered.

That statement always seemed to have kept him from boiling over with resentment, because in the end, it was all that mattered.

It felt like a cold splash of water in the face.

_I'm coming for you, brother._

With that he leaped into the well, grasping his brother's claw before the he lost his grip.

"I would never betray you, not then, not now."

As they made their way out of the Astral plane later on, he had decided that he was just going to roll with the punches.

Simply accept, that she had made her choice.

And that choice was not him.

It was going to hurt. It was going to sting. But its something he just had to live with. Just like the throne. Just like the sword.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"So what happened in there exactly?"

It was nightfall, and in the elephant village everything was lit up in celebration. There was music, there was dancing, there was much jubilation going on despite the earlier tragedies of the day. They had won this battle for the spirit stone and it was cause for merrymaking.

Tygra sat among Anet and some other elephants from the village. He had been taking in a sweet ale made from a fruit that only grew in the elephant gardens. It calmed and soothed his nerves, which was what he truly needed right now after everything that happened today. He was in no mood to talk and allowed his brother relate the tale that unfurled inside the astral plane.

"Wow Tygra, you had your own sword of Omens?" WilyKat was wide eyed with excitement.

"It wasn't the real sword of Omens, but yeah, something like it." he answered briefly.

At least there was one cat who didn't seem to think he was a jackass.

He felt like the villain of the story as he had to hear all over again how as a child he had broken the log that sent Lion-O down the bottomless pit, and how he had taken up arms and tried to repeat the same feat by kicking him into the well at the end of their battle.

_I've had enough of this_, he thought as he excused himself out of the table. As he made his way out of the merrymaking, he had missed the part when Lion-O had mentioned the issues that have sent the two of them over the edge. The Crown. The Sword. The Cleric.

Someone else, however, was listening.

She was seated but a few feet away, more intent on cleaning her staff and half-heartedly listening to Lion-O's tale. The story of the brothers' rivalry was not new to her, and while she was concerned that it all came to a head inside the Astral Plane, she knew deep inside that their bond was stronger than jealousy.

Then she heard her name.

"I knew it!" WilyKat exclaimed. "I knew you both liked Cheetara!"

"The more important question is, does she like any of you?" one of the other elephants asked. "I mean, how do you know she doesn't prefer a pacifist with more brawn?" and with that he started flexing his trunk and showing off his muscles, much to everyone's amusement.

"Guess we'll have to see." the lion remarked. He took a quick glance at her but she was too shocked to notice.

_They were fighting over me?_

That thought did not sit well with her. Not at all.

She quietly slipped out of her seat and left.

xoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

He didn't know how long he stood there.

Tygra was standing among ruins, the full moon casting shadows upon him, the night breeze gently kissing his face. His gaze wandered aimlessly over the peaceful valley below, not looking at anything in particular as he was lost deep in thought.

He ran his hand over his face.

_It hurts._

How much it was going to hurt he didn't really realize until this very moment.

The last few days were tough on him. He had come to the conclusion that waging a war against Lion-O for the affections of Cheetara was a battle he was losing, if not completely lost already. It was a nagging feeling that had become more evident as the days passed. At first he had attributed it to the fact that she was a cleric and that part of her job description was to keep him in check and made sure he got his head out of the clouds. He had tried to overlook the fact that she would hold his hand, whisper in his ear and touch him with obvious care and concern. But when she had given him that kiss before they left for the astral plane, he knew that it was over.

She had made her choice.

And it wasn't him.

He felt as though his heart had been literally ripped out of his chest.

Repeatedly.

Cheetara's gaze searched the village, seeking him. She had noticed that he had left the table earlier when Lion-O was relating the events at the Astral Plane but she thought that it was temporary. When he didn't return, and she heard the rest of the story, she became concerned.

_Was that why he seemed miserable the last few days?_

_Was it because of me?_

She still couldn't wrap her head around the notion that she was part of their conflict. It was, to say the least, inconceivable.

For as much as she cared about the future king, it was mostly that of a friend, a sister, and a servant of the crown.

Had he misconstrued her actions? Thought that she had done it most out of romantic love rather than a sense of duty?

Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so.

_What have I done?_

The last thing she wanted was to come in between brothers who already had a lifelong rivalry.

_I have to find him._

In a sense she felt a failure of her job as a cleric and protector of the Thunderan royalty.

She had driven a wedge between Tygra and Lion-O when she was supposed to be the bridge to connect them together.

This was wrong.

And she was going to fix it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Who goes there?"

A small pair of ears appeared around the bushes. "Hi."

Tygra breathed a sigh of relief and returned his gun to its holster. "Hey Kat."

The 8 year old tentatively approached him and once realizing he wasn't going to be barked at, appeared to relax. "Whatcha doin' out here?"

"Just thinking." he replied, turning away. He wished the kitten hadn't found him. He wasn't exactly conversational right now.

A moment of silence prevailed until the kitten spoke up again. "You'll always be my hero."

That caught him by surprise. He cast a glance towards WilyKat. "Thanks." he meant that sincerely, "But I don't think I acted in a very heroic fashion today."

The younger cat's ears perked up, "Yeah you did. You saved Lion-O from the well."

He wasn't sure how to explain it to the much younger WilyKat that Lion-O shouldn't have ended up in the well in the first place, had he been a hero in the true sense.

"Tygra."

"Yes?"

"I think you're the best warrior in Thundera." he piped, "Even if you're not King."

Coming from the little one's mouth, it was one of the biggest compliments he had ever received. A genuine smile found its way on his lips, "Thanks kid."

_I guess not everyone hates me right now._

With that the little one squealed one more time how awesome it was that he had his own sword of Omens in the astral plane, gushed more of his fighting abilities and then happily took off.

That temporarily put a good feeling on his chest.

Several minutes later, he thought he heard footsteps behind him and wondered if the Thunderkitten was back for more chitchat.

This time he figured he was going to talk to WilyKat longer a little more. It may take his mind of this physical hurting in his chest.

"I heard about what you and Lion-O went through in there."

It was her.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo

Author notes:  
In the end I realized that squeezing their encounter into the end of this story was not going to do my favorite pair justice. So they are getting their own chapter! Yay!

Yes, this is not the end, yet.

One of my biggest stumbling blocks as a writer is ending my work. It tops my list as the most difficult thing to do (Action scenes probably rank in second.) Mostly because its like setting your kid free after nurturing them for the longest time. it's just that hard.

Tygra: *smirks at Cheetara.* You were sleeping on my lap.  
Cheetara: I was tired. That wasn't my original position either.  
Tygra: You do realize this thing wouldn't have dragged on if you just winked back at me in the first episode.  
Cheetara: That was neither the time or place for flirting, Mister.  
Tygra: Oh why can't you just admit that you adore me as much as…  
Cheetara: *raises a brow* as what?  
Crickets chirping again.  
Cheetara: I thought so. Tune in for the next one folks!


	5. The Inevitable

Fleur D'Amour

by Fuuko no MIko

12/5/2011

The Inevitable

_This is it, or at least I think it is. _

_My favorite duo has their own chapter, although they do have a bit of explaining to do. _

_Just to make things clear as well, I don't dislike the Lord of Thundera at all._

_I just love Tygra more *_*_

_Tygra: How can you not? _

_Be quiet now, or I'm making her dump you at the end of this and elope with one of the elephants._

_Also, beware the cheesy romance parts…that's just me. Too many nights reading romance novels in my misguided youth! There's going to be a bunch of them towards the end._

_Disclaimer: Thundercats is property of Warner Brothers and whoever, whatever else. I own nothing remotely close._

_xoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxoxoxoxoxxo  
_

His world was turned completely upside down.

If that day had begun as a nightmare, this night it has now morphed into a dream.

Mayhaps something better, because one wakes up from dreams.

He did not want to wake up from this one.

The memories of twelve years ago. The fateful meeting at the gates of Thundera. Choosing the prettiest flower in the royal gardens. Her acceptance to the clerisy. The events ran through his mind in rapid flashback.

It all somehow made sense now.

He never believed in fate or serendipity before, not accepting the warnings of prophecy nor the theory of events being written in the stars.

He was a believer that one holds their destiny in their hands that it is up to one's self to carve his path in this life. He's always been a practical kind of thinker.

Today, he thought, maybe he was wrong.

What else would have given him the thought to choose that flower among the hundreds in that garden, other than he thought it was the only one that was as pretty as she was? What coincidence was it that it was his first day of duty and she had to walk by and ask him for directions?

Perhaps the stars did align in his favor, at least once.

When she showed him the heart of the day astrid, he felt as though his luck was changing.

The minute she had put her arms around his chest, he had crossed the point of no return.

_You won't be sorry_, he thought, as he closed his eyes and put his mouth against hers.

_So this is what a first kiss is like._

She doubted that this was the first time he had kissed anyone, as he expertly caressed her lips with his own, but he was definitely her first. She had thought it brazen of her to put her arms around him and ask him for it through her actions, not for once thinking he may reject her. In her heart, and somewhere in her mind, she knew that he felt the same way about her as she does with him.

She figured making the move would at least erase the doubts in his mind about how she felt about him.

Judging by the way he pressured her mouth into parting to accept more of his kisses, she knew the message she was trying to convey was well understood.

He pulled her tightly against him, enjoying the feel of her body against his, his arms drifting from her upper back down to her waist, her supple hair entangled in his claws. He felt her bury her claws lightly against his body, pressing herself in his embrace.

He pulled back to take a breath, although he didn't want to. His glance drifted to her lips that were still swollen from contact. He felt his heart skip erratically hearing her try to catch her breath.

"I've waited for so long."

He raised a hand to trace her cheek, brush strands of hair from her face, his thumb tracing the outline of her mouth.

"Me too." she spoke in between breaths, "You're not the only one, you know."

He buried his face in her hair and drew her into his arms once more.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

_No._

_This isn't happening_.

He stood there for at least a minute or two, blinking once, twice…making sure he was not seeing things.

Cheetara.

Tygra.

Enveloped in each others arms.

Locked in a passionate kiss.

It felt as though the ground beneath him began to give way slowly.

She had chosen his brother.

_It can't be. It can't._

Words escaped him as he parted his mouth to speak.

Should he ask them to stop?

Or beg her to reconsider?

Or maybe ask him what the hell he was doing?

_A betrayal like you have never known._

Anet was right.

Reluctantly, Tygra pulled away from her when he heard footsteps from a short distance.

He didn't know who was more surprised.

_Lion-O._

_Tygra._

The former took off.

The latter sprinted after him.

"Lion-O, stop!"

He turned around to face his older brother, his eye blazoned with accusation. "You want to rub it in my face again or what?"

Tygra stopped a few feet away from the lion, meeting his sibling eye to eye. He opened his mouth and took a moment to speak, "I'm sorry."

"Well that's a first."

Silence.

Cheetara had followed them, but held back as she saw the two of them staring each other in the eye.

"I didn't want to hurt you."

"That's another first. Maybe I should write this all down in case you forget you even said it."

"Lion-O!"

"You've won, I lost. End of story." Lion-O declared. Without looking back he began to walk away.

"This isn't a contest you know."

The lion stopped mid-stride. Tygra took this as a sign his brother was going to listen to him. "She's not a prize to be won." he spoke firmly. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "This isn't like one of our childhood duels. You can't just pick a winner or a loser. It goes beyond that."

Lion-O's gaze shifted to the ground, then to Cheetara. He had questions in his eyes, she noted. She wasn't sure she can answer him without hurting him. "You know I care about both of you." she spoke finally, "Just, differently."

"I see that now." he muttered under his breath.

She approached him, touched his face and lifted it to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry Lion-O."

The look he sent her way was gut-wrenching, "I'm sorry too."

With that, he took off and this time, neither Tygra nor Cheetara dared follow him.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

They found themselves laying side by side on the grass, under the stars, gazing into the night sky. Tygra with one arm under his head, and Cheetara on the other. They lay their silently for almost an hour now. No words exchanged, but their bodies communicating what their speech has not. They had mutually agreed to let Lion-O handle his issues without them trying to add more fuel to the fire. At least, for the moment.

"I'm sorry."

His ears twitched, "For picking me? I hope not." he said half-jokingly.

She smiled and shook her head before sitting up and putting her arms around knees, "For coming between the two of you. That's not right."

"It wasn't intentional." he reasoned. "I never thought you were the heartbreaking type."

"Would you be saying the same thing if I had chosen him instead?"

"I thought you already did." He said thoughtfully. "But I don't expect our reaction would be anything similar. Lion-O and I are very different in the way we handle things."

He sat up and for a moment they just looked at each other.

"He's going to be okay."

"I know, it just worries me."

He nodded in agreement. "I'm worried too." he then said thoughtfully, "But knowing him, I know he's not going to do anything stupid. Impulsive though he can be."

An awkward pause followed, with him breaking the silence.

"We're going to have to have a sit-down. " He said before a naughty glint flashed in his eye, "I know what can take our worries away, though."

She wasn't completely prepared when he leaned over and kissed her again. Her mouth was slightly open to speak when he did. She felt a minor invasion of his tongue in her mouth.

_Well, two can play that game._

She felt warm all over as he kissed her passionately, experiencing a tingle that started from her mouth all the way to the base of her spine. She felt herself being lowered to the ground as the pressure of his body on hers increased. She just about flinched when his kisses found its way to her neck, gently nibbling on it. His hand found itself invading the side of her body, leaving trails of excitement wherever he touched.

"Tygra!"

"What?" he pulled back, a mischievous spark in his eye, that trademark smirk appearing on his lips.

"What are you doing?" she tried to act irritated, even if her fur screamed for more of his touch.

"Releasing twelve years of frustration."

"That sounds dangerous."

"You haven't seen dangerous yet."

She didn't protest when he put lips upon her neck again. His touch retracing the trail he made earlier. He had taken off his armor and was dressed in his princely gear. This enabled him to get physically closer to her without crushing her soft frame against him. It just seemed he couldn't get close enough.

_Doesn't look like I'm getting any sleep tonight_, she thought.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"You best be careful with my baby." Panthro barked as the tiger took the helm of the steering wheel of the Thundertank. "Just because I don't have arms doesn't mean I can't kick your tail."

Tygra brushed him off as he started the vehicle. "I believe it. You didn't become general for no reason." He smirked before shifting the gears and putting his foot on the pedal. The thundertank roared into action, rapidly descending the side of the mountain where the elephant village lay. Screams of excitement could be heard from the back of the tank with the thuderkittens having fun at their rapid acceleration.

_I can't look_, Panthro groaned as he closed his eyes shut and grit his teeth.

Prince Tygra is going to get a piece of his mind as soon as his anxiety attack wavers.

Once the screaming inside the tank subsided, Cheetara took her hands off her ears. To say that the descent was nerve-wracking was an understatement. She could've sworn he's lost control of the tank and had plummeted down the side of the mountain. She's surprised he hadn't gotten his ear ripped to shreds by the panther for that dive. She's even more surprised that he could drive the tank in the first place. They've gotten so little sleep last night that before this that she was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open.

Across her was someone who had not a single reaction to the dive the thundertank took. Since they last spoke to him the night before, he had been extremely quiet.

She felt for him. She had planned to talk to him after speaking to Tygra, but by some cruel coincidence he had chanced upon them during their intimacy.

She understood if he didn't forgive her. She had a hard time forgiving herself.

She had no regrets having feelings for his older brother. Her regret was she didn't let him know sooner and clarified that although he meant a lot to her, it was not in the way he thought.

Hurting him was the last thing on her mind.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Lion-O was tending to the fire at their camp. It was his turn to stand guard. Other than Panthro who was still up and allowing Snarf to nanny him much to his dismay, everyone else was asleep. He was surprised that his brother didn't sleep closer to Cheetara. They weren't far from each other, but they weren't intimate as he had expected.

_I guess he's not missing a sensitivity chip after all_, he thought, reflecting on his older brother. He had not seen them demonstrate their affection for one another today, at least not overtly. Other than an occasional look or a few words, they showed nothing to declare to the world how they felt about each other. As brash and cocky as Tygra was, this was quite unusual for the prince.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't still smarting from yesterday's revelation. His brother had attempted numerous times today to talk to him without success. It's not that he didn't want to reconcile. He just wasn't sure he was going to be completely diplomatic about it.

"You okay, my King?" Panthro spoke at last.

He nodded but the panther is obviously unconvinced.

"You know I don't like sticking my nose in your brotherly business." he began, "But I can't say I blame you for feeling like the way way you do."

He turned an ear but little else.

It took a while before the general spoke again. "I haven't been exactly in the same boat as you are, but I know what's like when you end up not being someone's choice."

"I lost my girl you know." he said at last when Lion-O didn't reply.

Lion-O straightened up and was all ears to Panthro. He knew that the panther shared little of his life, so the fact that he's having this conversation with him speaks volumes.

Panthro had a girlfriend?

"To another cat?"

"Nope. Worse. I lost her to the clerisy."

He couldn't help his jaw drop.

"Yep. But this is between you and me your highness." Panthro revealed. "She was younger than me you know. We had a relationship of sorts. She was a cleric."

He could almost imagine the panther scratching his head if he was able to. "Before I left with Grune to search the book of Omens I asked her if she would leave the clerisy and be the mother of my cubs." he seemed a little hesitant to continue, but after a short moment he did, "She said no. That she loved her service to the crown and would never leave." he sighed, "She made her choice, she didn't pick me."

A thoughtful expression then crossed his face, "I didn't want to hear anything she had to say after that, which I regret to this day."

Panthro continued, "I had a difficult time getting over my resentment. I think I may have had better closure if we had spoken before I left to find the book."

The young king nodded. "Later on I realized that things happen for a reason. Sometimes its not always evident why things happen. When I look back and think, well, if she did leave the clerisy and we had cubs, if they had perished in Thundera because I was not there, that would have broken me indefinitely." He explained. "Her choosing to remain guardian of the crown had in some ways, was better for us."

"I wish I was able to tell her that one last time, that I respected her decision." he ended after another thoughtful pause.

No one said a word for the next few moments, with the sounds of the night forest dominating the air. Panthro stood up first and headed to the Thundertank.

He turned his head around, "Any word of that leak out and you're toast, your highness." he added gruffly before continuing to his vehicle.

Lion-O managed a half smile and drew a cross on his heart. "King's honor."

xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox

That morning, as they cleared camp and prepared to head to the Berbil's village, the lion approached his brother.

"Hey, wanna race?" he tilted his head towards the thunderbikes.

The tiger's ears perked up. The expression on his little brother's face was sincere and inviting. "Want to eat dust for breakfast?" he challenged, the usual smirk appearing on his features.

"Let's see who eats what." With that he sprinted off with the tiger not far behind.

_That's a good sign_, Cheetara thought.

Lion-O figured this was the time to get things straightened out.

Panthro glanced over the cleric, "You want to drive the Thundertank and show those boys whose boss?"

She managed to laugh, "Only with your permission, General."

"Yay! Racing time!" Kit and Kat cheered on.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

The Berbils wasted no time in trying to set up Panthro for prosthetics for his arms. They just about nailed him with a hug when his head emerged from the thundertank followed by sounds of shock and bewilderment when they saw his injuries. They scurried about like mice setting him up for his surgery.

"Well, everything seems to be headed the right direction." Cheetara remarked as she watched Lion-O mingling with the berbils and attempting to understand mechanics. He wasn't in the somber mood he was the last 24 hours.

"Yes it is." Tygra agreed. "We had a long discussion."

"I noticed." She turned to look at him. "You were gone for almost 2 hours there." She said, noting that after the race they had this morning the two cats drove off on their own through the forest and reappeared much, much later. She squinted as she saw what appears to be a bruise on Tygra's left cheek. "Is that a bruise?"

He turned the other direction, "I figured he needed to vent so I let him land on a couple of shots on purpose."

"Sure you did."

"I did manage to get a tooth or two of his out." He said, trying not to laugh at the horror on her face, "That's okay, he needed them out anyway. They were beginning to rot."

He then sneaked an arm around her shoulder. "You want to kiss it and make it better?" he winked, pointing to his injured cheek.

She managed to blush a little before shrugging his hand off. "You and your winking! That's not going to get you anywhere, you realize that?"

He raised a brow, "I have a feeling this time it just might work."

She pushed him playfully before walking away. She decided that she was going to have her turn talking to Lion-O later. She had a feeling he was going to be more receptive this time around.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

It was Cheetara's turn to stand guard that night. The berbils were good enough to provide them with a huge tent and some bedding. Needless to say the kittens overstuffed themselves with candyfruit again and after enough rambunctious behavior to test everyone's patience, they had the sugar crash. Panthro was still knocked out from the anesthesia given to him during surgery. She and Lion-O had an extensive talk by themselves. She knew it was going to take a little getting used to, seeing her and his brother be a little affectionate, but she was certain he can and will adapt. He is an open minded cat after all.

Tygra had excused himself after dinner, saying he needed a walk to clear his mind. She understood that he may be reeling from the events of the last 48 hours himself, and decided to let him go by his lonesome even if she had wanted to go with him.

Everyone needs their "me" time, after all. No sense being the possessive girlfriend.

After making her rounds through the village and finding nothing suspicious, she leaned against a mushroom tree and stretched. It wasn't until a minute of sitting there that she realized it was the same tree that they had slept under during their first visit to the berbil village.

_Déjà vu_, she smiled to herself and closed her eyes. All that's missing is some torrential rain and a snarky tiger.

She didn't realize that she fell asleep at the spot from the lack of rest the last two nights, and yes, the rain began to fall.

_What the…_

With her cleric reflexes, Cheetara raised her staff and rapidly stood in a defensive stance when she felt a presence nearby.

"It's me, babe."

She put her staff down when she realized who it was. Reappearing from thin air was Tygra, getting soaked from the rain as he stood under his cloak.

"You know better than going invisible on me." She snapped. "And don't call me babe." She shuddered.

"But you are my babe," he teased, trying to steal a kiss from her when she put her staff in between them. "Come on, I haven't had one all day." He insisted, trying to plant one on her cheek.

It was her turn to smirk, "You waited twelve years, what's another day?" she joked using her speed to dodge his persistence.

She heard a snap and in a heartbeat she found her arm wrapped in his whip.

Like the predator that he was, he slowly reeled her in much to his delight and her chagrin. "I'm guessing I didn't do a good enough job the other day for you to want it, hmmm?" He teased as he pulled her close, his mouth just a few inches from her face.

"I've had better."

He let out a primitive growl before pressing his lips to her and pushing her against the tree. She felt the whip loosen as he pressed his mouth harder. Much as she enjoyed teasing him, she enjoyed his kisses more, whether she admitted it or not. She let out a squeak of surprise when he moved laterally and licked her ear. When he pulled back she noticed his arms were on both sides of her, trapping her against the tree. A fire burned in his eyes, and she was quite certain, in other parts of his body as well.

"Who are you comparing me to?" he raised a questioning brow. "I know I'm your first kiss."

She managed to shoot him a look saying "Or so you think."

"I need to get some shut-eye, if you don't mind, your highness." She evaded the question all together and tried to sidestep him after pushing his arm away. "You wouldn't let me get any sleep the other night."

She felt him tug at his whip and pull her back. She was about to whack her staff at him when he took her hand and put something in it.

"I spent all night looking for one of these." He spoke before she could get a word in.

Cheetara opened her hand.

It was a day astrid.

Pristine, pure and white, exactly like the one he had put beside her over a decade ago.

A smile couldn't help but find itself on her lips.

"It's where we began," he said, "I figured that with this we can renew our commitment to each other."

She found herself staring into his eyes, reading in them his sincerity and his devotion.

"Do you know how cheesy you sound right now?" she said at last.

"I know. I'm just not my smooth, suave self when I'm around you."

She managed a laugh before pulling the lapels of his princely shirt and planting a long, yearning kiss on his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his chest and savored his proximity. She would be lying if she had said she didn't enjoy the feel of his body against his.

The rain had gotten stronger and the wind started blowing but neither of them seemed to notice. All they were aware of was each other.

He took her in his arms and carried her to a sheltered part of the village where they were secluded, where it was nowhere near anyone can hear them. Not that the pounding rain would permit that anyway. Claps of thunder seemed to help their cause by deafening any other noise.

"I love you, my beautiful cleric." He whispered in her ear as he slowly started to unwrap her like a fragile present.

"And I love you, my snarky prince." She replied, giving in to his physical demands.

The day astrid sat on the corner with the prince's rain-drenched cloak, bearing witness to an act of love that took a decade in the making. The following day it found itself split in half, with one half slipped inside a cleric's glove and the other one sewn unto a prince's clothing. That was where it would stay, until the next decade when another day astrid would take its place.

The End, for now

_Okay, I hope that wasn't too much on the fluff, corn and cheese, lol. I know I promised some smut, but I will save that for another day._

_I figured ending with the astrid would justify the title of the fic, yes?_

_Of course this is my take on the whole thing. What actually happens in episode 14 is in the hands of the powers-that-be in Warner Bros. Hopefully, they don't break them up just after they get together. Otherwise I would have to add a 6th chapter, which in the great scheme of things isn't actually that bad an idea._

_Even before I finished this fic, I already had another one brewing in my head. Also starring my favorite pair, in very different circumstances. Legacy part 2, anyone?_

_Cheetara: How much did you bribe her to put us in all those makeout scenes anyway?_

_Tygra: Me? I thought you did the bribing. Not that I mind, by the way._

_Cheetara: But I do._

_Tygra: Do you know how many other cats would die to be in your place?_

_Cheetara: Considering everyone in Thundera's under the ground, I guess that's quite a number._

_Tygra: I just can't win._

_Cheetara: Hey you get to make out with me, if that's isn't like winning the lottery than I don't know what is._

_Tygra: Whoa Spitfire! Since when did you get so snarky?_

_Cheetara: You can not be seriously asking me that question._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. And like I said, this is not likely the last you'll hear from this story, heh._

_To quote the mega-awesome Aldo Reine "A-river-day-chee." (Arrivideci!)  
_


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